Tropics quiet again as hurricane season's peak nears

The tropics are expected to stay quiet this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The tropics are expected to stay quiet this week, according to the National Hurricane Center. (National Hurricane Center)

Scott Dance, The Baltimore Sun

Last week, it appeared the tropics were gearing up for a flurry of activity, with Tropical Storm Erin and another system in the Gulf of Mexico. But now there is little action expected this week.

There are no systems forecasters are eyeing for possible storm development within the next five days, according to the National Hurricane Center. There were three "tropical waves", systems even less organized and powerful than tropical depressions, but none are generating significant storm activity, according to the hurricane center.

The five named storms that have formed in the Atlantic so far this season means we are still ahead of schedule. According to tropical climatology data, the fifth storm typically does not form until Aug. 31.

But the intensity of storms this season may be lagging. A hurricane typically forms by Aug. 10, with a second by Aug. 28, but there have been none yet so far.

The traditional peak of the season -- the date when the most storms have formed -- is Sept. 10. So there are still several weeks to go in which activity could increase quickly.

AccuWeather.com's Henry Margusity notes that American forecast models show several Atlantic storms stirring next week. And the Weather Underground's Jeff Masters adds that the current lull does not signal anything might be amiss with forecasts of an active season.

"[T]he Atlantic is capable of getting very active in a hurry," Masters wrote.